Bad Dads Film Review

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the team reviews Apex (2026) — a stripped-back survival thriller set in the Australian outback starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana.
In this episode
Garden-recording vibes, warm-weather chaos, and the usual Bad Dads preamble
Top 5 Travellers/Gypsies segment before the main review
Setup: remote climbing trip gone wrong after a devastating opening loss
Tone shift from survival drama to psychological hunter/prey thriller
Ben’s “helpful stranger” act and the slow reveal of what’s really going on
Key tension moments: camp, cave, traps, cliff climb, and escape sequence
Cannibal reveal and why that pushes the film into darker territory
Performances: Charlize’s physical lead work and Egerton’s menace
Runtime/pacing: lean, effective, and mostly free of bloat
Bad Dads consensus
Tension and atmosphere: strong
Performances: very strong
Predictability: some broad beats are readable, but execution lands
Rewatch value: good if you like survival thrillers with edge
Overall: Strong recommend (all three)
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We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
 
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Bad Dads

On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the dads review Saipan (2025), a dramatization of one of the most explosive moments in modern Irish football history.
In this episode
Why this story still matters: Ireland’s 2002 World Cup buildup and the Keane/McCarthy fallout
The core tension: perfectionist, win-first standards vs “get the job done” tournament pragmatism
Camp preparation issues and why they became the flashpoint
Club-vs-country politics in the background (including pressure dynamics around Manchester United)
Performances: thoughts on the Roy Keane portrayal and Steve Coogan’s grounded McCarthy
Whether the film feels fair to both sides or leans into dramatized caricature
The wider football question: was Keane right in principle but wrong in approach?
Bad Dads consensus
Story relevance: high
Performance quality: strong, with mixed reactions on specific portrayal choices
Historical accuracy: debated
Rewatch value: good for football fans and sports-drama watchers
Overall: **Strong recommend**
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We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
 
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Bad Dads

This week the dads tackle Wilson Yip’s SPL: Kill Zone — part crime thriller, part tragedy, part full-contact martial-arts clinic. Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam carry a film that’s interested in corruption and consequence as much as it is in breaking bones on camera.
First though: Top Five Dons. Unsurprisingly, this goes everywhere. Corleone, TV Dons, gaming Dons, football Dons, and assorted nonsense all make appearances before the lads finally get to the main event.
Top Five segment highlights:
Classic mob-boss royalty and the unavoidable Godfather references
Don characters from prestige TV and old-school comedy
Curveballs from animation/gaming culture
A healthy amount of side-questing into football and pop-culture trivia
On the main feature:
The setup: A terminally ill inspector and his squad target a triad boss after a witness case collapses.
The tone: Bleak, cynical, and morally compromised from the jump — this is not a clean heroes-villains story.
The action ramp: The dads note it takes its time, then cashes in hard late.
The alley fight: Widely discussed as the technical standout (knife vs baton, terrifying pace, almost no wasted movement).
The finale: Heavy, vicious, and emotionally costly — no easy triumph, no neat bow.
What worked best
Physical, high-commitment choreography that still holds up
Sammo Hung as a genuinely intimidating antagonist
A darker dramatic spine than many equivalent action films
Reservations discussed
Pacing in the first stretch can feel deliberate-to-slow depending on mood
Some narrative beats are more functional than elegant
Final verdict:
Strong recommend. If you’re into grimy Hong Kong crime/action hybrids with serious impact, SPL absolutely earns a watch.
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We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
 
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Bad Dads

The lads open with the Wu-Tang connection (RZA has this high on his all-time kung fu list), then jump straight into what makes this film such a riot: a betrayed warrior clan, relentless set-piece combat, and some of the most creative pole/staff fighting you’ll ever see.
They unpack the story of the Yang brothers being ambushed, the surviving brothers’ trauma and vengeance, and Gordon Liu’s turn as the Fifth Brother as he channels rage into monk training before the movie detonates into a legendary finale.
Highlights from the discussion include:
The iconic Shaw Brothers set design and stylised battle staging
The “remove the wolf’s teeth” monk philosophy becoming literal in the climax
The insane physicality of the cast and practical stunt brutality
The coffin-room/bar showdown as an all-time kung fu finale
By the end, it’s a full house: huge enjoyment, massive respect for the craft, and a strong recommendation for anyone into action cinema history.
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We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
 
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Bad Dads

This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we cover Song Sung Blue — a true-story music biopic about married couple Mike and Claire Sardina, whose Neil Diamond tribute act takes them from local gigs to national attention. What starts as a feel-good performance story gradually becomes a heavier drama about fame, pressure, family strain, and loss.
What the Movie Is About
Set around a tribute-band scene, the film follows Mike and Claire as they chase success while trying to hold their personal lives together. As their act grows, so do the pressures: health issues, emotional fallout, and the cost of trying to keep the show on the road. It’s part music crowd-pleaser, part rise-and-fall relationship drama.
Main Cast
Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina
Kate Hudson as Claire Sardina
The panel agreed both leads are strong, committed, and believable as performers and as a couple under pressure.
Our Overall Feeling
The Bad Dads landed mixed-to-positive overall.
Big praise for the lead performances and emotional moments.
Some of us found it moving and surprisingly effective.
The main criticism: it feels overlong, with a 90-minute story stretched to around 2h15.
Final Verdict
✅ Recommended — but with runtime caveats
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We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
 
Until next time, we remain...
 
Bad Dads